I was just wondering what I can do to give my samurai a little more pep in it's step. I don't want to do an engine swap and I don't want to be getting 10mpg, I just want to be able to pull hills a little easier and get a higher speed on straights, about 65 or 70ish. Don't want a big loud rocketship, just a capable Daily Driver that can go out on the trail and show my buddies' big lifted jeeps and Xterras up.

Is it all stock now   What size tires are on it?  Need more info to help you.

It's all stock right now and I plan on running some 31" AT tires eventually. Also I figure it's due for a rebuild since it's got almost 260,000mi on it.

alright. for 31's and any sort of pep, look at engine swaps right away. no way your getting both with a 1.3L
basic 2" exhaust will do wonders. either replace cat or if you can, remove completely or just gut it. (depending on regulations)

turning 31's in a samurai AND getting highway out of it is a challenge.

I've heard talk on a few forums of some people putting carbs and cams in em and pushing 31s at regular highway speeds. Like I said I don't want a rocketship, just a capable daily driver. Also I'm looking at lifts, I don't want to spend a lot of money on it so I want to do a 1" body lift and about 2" of suspension, what's the easiest and most reliable suspension lift to put on one of these.

A bigger carb works well on these motors, there are a few options, if you look around the forum you will get some feedback on these.

problem with bigger carb is less mpg.

1.6L swap (with efi) gives you all you want, the RELIABILITY of fuel injection, the gas mileage of a properly setup engine
and no expensive cam job and cam parts.

alot of guys build up the 1.3L to get power and then just swap in the 1.6L STOCK and get more. stock is reliable.

sometimes spending money to get a good base engine to build on is the best first step. with the 1.3L you might get highway speed out of it on a down hill or flat, but on an incline say goodbye. they dont have the grunt needed to keep speed up hills with 31's. so 60mph and only on the flat is more realistic

Motor would be number 2 I think, but on the list for sure.

I would do the Tx case gears first, you will need them anyway even with a motor swap and even more with big tires and a lift.

The Tx case gears will help you now since it sounds like the motor runs OK.

If you do the exhaust and a header you can carry that over with the motor swap if you stay with the 1.6 8v.

Just my .02 

I know I don't want to do the swap, I just don't have the time or money for that. Also decided after driving in the snow last night that I don't need 31s. I'll prob run some AT tires around the same size I have now, prob a little thinner than the 255s I have now. And also decided I may just do a good run through on the motor in April and keep it stock. I can run 60 with the current tires so I assume thinner tires and a fresh motor I can get a few MPH and MPGs.

Toyota Corolla 1200 1971-1978 carb....$99 NEW. Still available. Almost no mods to intake or air box. 2" exhaust. Flowmaster. Header.cam.
 All can be done for well under $1000.
 You will se better bottom end . Quicker responce. Same or better millage (depending on how well it runs now). And a fair amount of top end increase. Freeway speeds won't be a problem .
 It still wont be a rocket, But you will defiantly notice a huge increase in the grin factor. Enjoy...Boxcar....

Boxcar, I've been reading threads that I thought were helpful to me for the past couple of days and you are always the one that posts the most helpful stuff. I trust your advice and will most likely be using all of it. Thanks, Zack

Cool.
A fan club...
Thanks Zack...I'm sure there are some that would disagree with you.
 I look at it this way. Simpaler is allways a good place to start.
I've been in  the automotive field for a long , long , time And have seen or done the stupidest things over the years.
 I try never to emulate them .....Boxcar...
 

I'm only 18 and I know my way around a motor and I'm pretty good with the simple transmission stuff. I've made plenty of stupid mistakes and I am good with remembering what each problem looks, sounds, feels, and smells like so I tend to not make one mistake twice.

Could you give me some more info on this Corolla Carb conversion and how easy/hard it is, I've noticed several guys have done it. Also if I were to do that and a good rebuild along with a full exhaust would I be in the clear to run some 265/70/15 AT tires at the 60-65 range?

Yep..
 The carb is a direct fit.....Only mods were : throttle cable and choke cable mount.
Factory jetting was spot on .
http://www.ebay.com/itm/320842839140?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Front of engine bay:


 I also run a Calmini ceramic coated header, NON cat 2" exhaust with flow master. Run it all the way out the back (stock location)
You should have no problem spinning those tires.
 If you need it I'd be happy to send you a schematic of the vacuum locations (all three of them)....Boxcar...
BY THE WAY: it's not a bigger carb. It's a 28x28cfm square boar carter design carb. It's just way, way more efficient at making hp....
I've never been a fan of the 1600  Zuke swap.
By the time you factor in the time, the weight gain, the computer and all that goes with it, the adapters needed to make the swap
and the cost. IMHO it's a bad investment, For the limited amount of hp and torque gains.
 Properly camed  and set up the 1300 can make enough power at whatever rpm you need the power at. Mine makes most of its power in the mid rainge. Realize of course that I'm completely re geard, have ported my head and done some valve magic to it as well, along with the carb and exhaust swaps.  And am running a larger tire than you plan on running. I have no problem running down the highway, in Oregon. Can you say "not flat"?
 If all you want is freeway speed and economy. Run a cam that makes power between 3 and 5000 rpm s. Feed it fuel (efficiently)
and exhaust it (efficiently) And problem solved...Sorry for the rant .

Well it's going to be a daily driver and where I live in North Carolina we are being watched carefully about our emissions here lately. They're even requiring horns and tag lights this time last year I got a car insepected and all he checked was signals and lights. So i would have to have the cat, do you think a PaceSetter header would be ok? And just a replacement cat?